TORRENCE HAS NO LUCK IN LAS VEGASCareer Best Points Finish Still Possible in Season Finale

November 1, 2015 -- The fact that Antron Brown finished the day as the new Mello Yello Top Fuel champion took a little bit of the sting out of Steve Torrence’s first round exit Sunday from the 15th annual Toyota Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway especially since the 32-year-old cancer survivor still is in position to earn his best ever finish when the season wraps up in two weeks with the 51st running of the Auto Club Finals in Pomona, Calif.

Torrence finished sixth in Top Fuel points a year ago. He will start the Finals in seventh place, 42 points (two racing rounds) behind fifth place Brittany Force.

Between now and race weekend, Torrence will encourage race fans to remember first responders and members of the military through a month-long service campaign initiated by the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation in recognition of the Veterans Day holiday (Nov. 11). Executive director Taya Kyle, widow of the “American Sniper,” is asking all Americans to donate their time, skill or passion to a non-profit organization of their choice.

“Veterans Day marks the one-year anniversary of the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation and (it is) a time for us to reflect on our mission and why we were founded,” Kyle said, “(which was) to honor my husband Chris Kyle’s legacy of service by serving the families of military and first responders.”

Torrence Racing has lent its support to the foundation through fund-raising efforts and an educational campaign designed to raise public awareness of both the foundation and its programs which include Revitalization Retreats that provide unique environments in which families can downshift from the intensity of mission-focused lives of service and reconnect with one another.

“It’s a great program,” Torrence said, “and, as a fellow Texan, I’m proud to be involved in it. Maybe we can take some veterans to the winners’ circle with us in California.”

Torrence’s penchant for facing Countdown contenders in the first round regardless of qualifying position continued at LVMS where as the No. 4 qualifier he lined up in the first round against 38-time tour winner Doug Kalitta who carved out a narrow victory, 3.791-3.886 seconds, en route to his third win of the season. .

Significantly, Billy Torrence continued to make the most of his limited appearances in the NHRA series by qualifying third in the second of the Capco Contractors Top Fuel entries and getting an international victory over Swiss racer and first time starter Noah Stutz in round one. He was ousted in round two when his car lost traction against five-time IHRA Champion Clay Millican.